To help struggling students and families, President Obama has proposed a significant increase to the Pell grant for 2010-2011. The boost will be paid for by cutting excessive student lender subsidies out of the student loan programs and reinvesting that money instead in student aid. A report by the U.S. PIRG Higher Education Project estimates the impact of transferring $5 billion in student lender bank subsidies to Pell Grant recipients in each state.

Public transportation makes a vital contribution to California’s transportation system, providing an alternative to drivers tired of fighting congestion, reducing our dependence on oil, and curbing pollution. However, in many communities around thestate, transit systems are inadequate and cannot keep pace with demand.

This document provides an overview of why transit should receive government funds and how those revenues should be raised. It also briefly discusses some ways to ensure that transit spending can best fulfill its policy goals.

As our economy weakens nationwide, Illinoisans are having a harder time accessing and affording health insurance. Illinois needs to change the way it regulates the health insurance industry to make sure residents have access to predictable and affordable coverage. An analysis conducted by the Illinois Public Interest Research Group indicates that increasing cost-containment and accountability measures for health insurance companies does not mean that the premium costs paid by consumers will increase.